Frank Oz wins over Locarno
Sunday, 12 Aug 2007 15:59
Death at a Funeral took the Public Prize at Locarno
Franz Oz's Death at a Funeral took the Public Prize at this year's Locarno Film Festival to keep the British cinema flag flying.
The comedy picture, starring Matthew Macfayden, centres on the dark secrets of a dysfunctional family and was wildly popular this year in Italy.
Japanese film director Masahiro Kobayashi won this year's Golden Leopard. The prestigious award was taken by Kobayashi's Ai No Yokan (The Rebirth), which tells the unsettling love story of a romance between the mother of a murderer who killed the child of the love interest.
Renowned French actor Michel Piccoli took home an excellence award in addition to his prize for best actor in Sous les Toits de Paris. This was shared with Michele Venitucci as the judges wanted to recognise young talent, however.
The best director award went to another Frenchman, Philippe Ramos, for his Moby Dick-based movie Capitaine Ahab.
Total spectators at this year's festival fell slightly because of bad weather, but cinema screening numbers were up to 118,000.
In total 338 films were presented in total. Festival director Frederic Maire said: "The general public as well as the cinephiles tasted the pleasure of discovery within the highly diverse programme."